Benediction

 

                                   How often I think of that rainbow,
                                      and the day that it chose to appear;
                              'twas the first thing I spied when I opened my eyes,
                                           on Easter morning, last year.

                                   ...and I marvel still how Nature chooses
                                          such a glorious way to say
                                    that no matter how bad things may be, or how sad,
                                               tomorrow will be O.K.!

Peacemaker

  

                                   If your mate has a different opinion,
                                        and no longer treats you as king;
                                           just swallow your fate, and put up this plate,
                                              it should handle most anything.

Who am I?

  

                                   Has anyone seen the likes of me?
                                       Does anyone know my name?
                                         I've looked every day all over the bay,
                                                  but nobody looks the same !
                         

                                                                    (if you know, please comment)

Aerial arias

                                              This fellow's my favorite musician,
                                                      trilling arias all the day long;
                                             when a mockingbird sings, the whole world takes wing,
                                                    how I wish I could send you his song!

Horrors!

 

                                                It must have been frightfully shocking,
                                                   for a lady that's made from a tree;
                                             what dreadful surprise could have caused those wild eyes,
                                                         what did that poor lady see?

Feathered friends?

  

                                  "Birds of a feather flock together,"
                                          it seems that is always the way;
                                                but when they're together, d'you think that they ever
                                                         join other "feathers" at play?

Quasar

   

                      ("It was 40 times more luminous that an entire galaxy of 100 billion stars")
                        

                                  That seems like a powerful lot of stars,
                                     my amazement is surely unbounded;
                                       but what we don't know in this magical show, -
                                            who was the fellow that counted?

Loon-y tune

                                   When I see this beautiful creature sail by,
                                       I wonder who was the buffoon
                                          who had the conviction to start that description, -
                                               "as crazy as a loon!"

Legacy

We don't look like much when we're growing,

you glance at our vines now and then; 

but rip us away, our portrait will stay,

                    and you always will know where we've been .

Overview

                                        Would we could be so lucky,
                                             when troubles assail us all;
                                              why wait in dread of what might lie ahead,
                                                    just stretch up, look over the wall.

Favoritism?

 

                                            How is it that Nature, bestowing her gifts,
                                                  gave this bush a fragrance so sweet;
                                                    while others who pine are still waiting in line, -
                                                        how did this one achieve such a feat?


                                                                                          (pittosporum)

A me tree?

                                   If the paths of our lives were laid out like a tree,
                                       with all of  its turnings and twists,
                                           would all those strong bends fizzle out in the end,
                                                  would my picture look something like this?                                  t

Owl's avowal

                                            I know he's not a legitimate owl,
                                                 but I can't say I give a hoot;
                                                     if he isn't like me or my family,
                                                        I still think he's pretty cute!

                                                                                             

Lullaby

 

 
                                    The sound of the surf surging in to the shore
                                          is a lullaby song to hear;
                                               when you're trying to sleep, forget counting sheep,
                                                        just replay the sound in your ear.

Competition

                                       This race is getting exciting,
                                           as we all get ready to burst;
                                              with sisters and brothers, and all of those others,
                                                   which one is going to bloom first?

A Quote

                             
                                        "If all you ever do is all you've ever done...."
                                            (original, this is not)
                                                    "then all you'll ever get,
                                                              is all you ever got"


                                                                               (thanks to "anonymous")

Golden Glory

                                    No matter how often I see her,
                                       whether from far or from near,
                                         the grace of her lines and her flawless design,
                                               always elicits a tear.

Secret structure?

   

                                       You slid off the face of a cliff today,
                                            with markings so straight and so clear;
                                               it looks like the start of an architect's chart, -
                                                  but who was the engineer?

Poppy power

                                   There's something about a poppy
                                     that's rightly our golden-state flower;
                                         brilliant as one,  when they all greet the sun,
                                                you can feel California's power!

Superman

                                              What a  wonderful feeling it must be
                                                    to sit on this kind of a throne;
                                                         to have totally conquered your father,
                                                                and won a big ice cream cone!

Balancing act

                                      How can you manage on just the one leg,
                                              to balance that awkward frame;
                                                 when I have two perfectly good legs,
                                                      and I still have to use a cane?

Despair

                               There are times when you've made such a boo-boo,
                                   there's no way to see a way through;
                                    when nothing you say can help save the day, -
                                         what else can a poor sinner do!

Banana's hosanna

 

 
                                            I once was a juicy banana,
                                               but the juicy part's now a has-been;
                                                  and now that I"m free, I can finally be
                                                    just a joyful banana skin!

Time

                                          If you're trying to find a description
                                            of how Time should act or should look;
                                               no need to be vexed, just ask "what comes next?",  
                                                  it's like " turning each page of a book"*
       

                                                                (*sean carroll "explaining time to kids")

Specialist

                                      There are many demanding professions
                                          that challenge the best in a man;
                                            if you're needing a test of his talents,
                                                what would be your final exam?

Collector's gem?

                            Some fellows have fun collecting dead cars,
                                it must be some kind of disease;
                                  When I saw this go by, I was tempted to cry,
                                    "are you sure your wife will be pleased?"

Checked out?

 

                                      Surely I must have been dreaming,
                                          to have seen this checkered display;
                                          ... a bothersome view, did you see it too?
                                                    If not, better haul me away!

Cormorant clash?

                             When you're out there with all your companions,
                                   your sisters and brothers and mother;
                                      with all of that striving and dipping and diving,
                                           don't you ever bump into each other?

Second Glance

   

                                   To see some small stones and a jug on a shelf,
                                        might not capture your eye at first start;
                                           but it all goes to show how the plain things we know
                                               can become ennobled by art.
 

                                                                                           (photo by Peter Xiques)


 

Shades of grey

  

                                There are times that are not good but not really bad,
                                    like the sky at the end of the day;
                                       the sun's just gone down but there's light still around,
                                             and everything's in shades of grey.

Daily wisdom

                                       As we travel along life's highway,
                                           immersed in its twists and its turns.
                                              it's helpful to find great thoughts of mankind,
                                                     to resolve all our daily concerns.